Herd of the Cimarron
by StokinDembers
Summary: With Spirit gone, captured by humans and taken far away, his herd is now in peril. With no stallion for protection and the winter months not far off, it is up to Esperanza to keep the herd together and safe. But for a young mare in the herd named Breeze, is the assurance of the lead mare enough or will she seek a new situation? Horse lovers will enjoy this story! R
1. Anxieties Rising

**Hello horse lovers! This is my first Spirit fanfic and so I've decided, since I've read the Spirit books, that I would do my best to write in a similar fashion! This story is based on the experience Spirit's herd has while he is separated from them. From the point of view of one of my Oc's, you will read through her and the herd's adventures! This particular story won't be longer than ten chapters and each I will try to keep the same length. I update often so you will never have to wait long!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit or any of the famaliar characters you may read of, just my OC and the story plot!**

**Thank you now read and enjoy! **

Sweet smelling wind blew gently, rustling the grass in a green wave of delightful chorus which traveled throughout the large field. The sun was just now peaking from behind the distant, tall blue mountains, bright colors exploding through the sky and illuminating the new day joyously. The herd of horses, scatted amidst the field, were basking in the morning light. Some munched on dew covered grass while others vented their refreshed energy by nudging, kicking and racing one another. The lead mare, a bright palomino, was not playing however. She stood amidst the herd, ears pricked forward and her gaze fixated on the forest located not far off. She was waiting for something; listening intently for a hope she dare not abandon. Her son... the stallion of the herd, had left the night before to discover the source of strange glowing light he and his mother, Esperanza, had spotted**.**

The stallion had not returned, and because of his lingering absence, Esperanza was anxious. When Esperanza was nervous, the whole herd knew it. One of these herd members was a young dark chocolate colored mare named Breeze. She was the half sister of Spirit, having the same father but born of a different mother. Breeze had a sturdy, sleek build, elegant legs, and pretty face. Her long, thick, flaxen colored main draped over her neck as she grazed, occasionally swishing her tail at a pesky fly. She shook her head once, getting her thick forelock out of her eyes once and a while. But even as she enjoyed the early morning succulence of freshly wet grass, her dark brown eyes never wandered too far from the lead mare. Breeze was highly sensitive to her surroundings, ears shifting back and forth, keeping account on where the other herd members were located, and lifting her head every once and a while to test the wind and smell for anything strange.

Of course, it was not Breeze's job to keep watch, it was the lead mare's... but with the stallion gone, things just felt less safe, less secure. It was Esperanza's job to keep track of the herd members, lead them to the best grass and water... to keep all the foals in line if need be and to punish misbehaving herd members. But one thing the lead mare could not do, was protect the herd. That was the stallion's job. With him missing, the possibilities of danger were far more heightened than usual. Breeze didn't think keeping an extra eye out to help Esperanza was imposing too much on the lead mare's job. How long would the stallion, called Spirit, be gone anyway? Did he plan on leaving them here alone while he went off on some adventure, forgetting his responsibilities? Up until now, Breeze thought Spirit had done a fine job of keeping the herd together, and protecting them when frightening occurrences happened.

Suddenly, Esperanza whinnied to the herd. All the horse's heads raised in response, including Breeze's. It was time to move. Esperanza pawed the ground and nickered again, turning her head in the direction of the woods and breaking into a brisk trot. The herd, with no reason to disagree with the leader, picked up their pace as well, chasing after the palomino. Breeze was more slow to follow. Why was Esperanza asking them to move _closer_ towards where Spirit had vanished? If he wasn't here still... that could mean there was danger just waiting for them! Breeze, not liking this decision at all whinnied in protest, rearing and striking the ground before taking off at a fast canter to reach the front of the herd. Cantering past Esperanza, Breeze spun on her hind quarters and stopped right in the lead mare's way, whinnying her argument loud and clear.

Needless to say, Esperanza wasn't very happy with the fact that this younger mare had challenged her authority. Esperanza was determined to find her son, even if it meant moving the herd closer towards those leery looking woods. As her own son, Spirit meant everything to her, and without him, the herd would be susceptible to being taken over by any over confident lone stallion who came their way. Esperanza was _not_ about to let this happen. She would find Spirit. She was just sure he was alright and had gotten a bit distracted. Or perhaps he'd gotten himself lost and was trying to find his way back now? Yes, the lead mare was sure things would turn out fine. So then, why was Breeze opposing her? This act of defiance would not be tolerated... Esperanza snorted warningly, flattening her ears and giving the younger mare a displeased expression.

Breeze lowered her head, not wanting to get in Esperanza's bad favors, but simply bring the lead mare back into reality. She whinnied lightly, pleadingly, gesturing with her nose back to the woods looming behind them, a frightened gloss in her eyes. Esperanza blew through her nose and swished her tail, disregarding Breeze's uneasiness. The palomino trotted right past the young mare, the rest of the herd perking up and resuming their move across the field. Breeze fell into line towards the back, her head hung low in defeat. No horse ever listened to her... She shook her head, main flopping to the other side of her neck and eventually boosted herself to think positively. Esperanza was the leader for a reason. She knew best and Breeze would just have to trust her. Still though.. Breeze wondered if they were getting into more trouble than any of them could foresee...

**Well hope you enjoyed this! More will be coming soon! Leave a comment and let me know what you thought! Also, how many of you own horses of your own? I own two, Tommy and Big River! Let me know what your horses are called if you have any! I may use interesting names in later chapters if I have your permission... :) **


	2. Strange Smells

**Chapter 2 is up! I decided I'd better put it up quickly because these parts are so short. However, it does make them easier for me to write! Hope you are liking the story so far!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit or the movie's characters (obviously :) Just my Oc's and this story idea!**

**Now, let's continue... **

As the herd's speed increased across the field, so did the wind from the opposing direction. Breeze's nostrils flared, strange scents that were indiscernible and frightening filling her nose. Why were none of the other horses picking up on this? Was Breeze really the only one who was concerned about the possible danger they were running towards? The woods waited ominously before them, the span of green trees expanding as the herd approached. The foals whinnied in excitement, kicking out and jumping into the air in complete oblivious bliss as to why the lead mare was moving them, but enjoying themselves anyway. Breeze envied their ignorance.

When she had been young, nothing had ever frightened her. She'd always felt safe with her mother near by and the herd close to run to for protection. Her father, Strider, had always kept a close watch on her and the rest of the foals so as nothing too traumatizing had ever happened. The worst that had befallen her as a filly had been when the herd had been crossing a river and she'd gotten her hooves swept away on the rock, loosing her footing. She had floated down stream a ways, screaming and whinnying in terror until Strider himself trotted over to splash into the river water and stop her with his legs from drifting away in the current.

That had been a long time ago, nearly three years now. Breeze was much older and far more careful with where she stepped and why. Perhaps she over thought one too many things in her life time, but in her mind, she was better off safe than sorry. Which was exactly why she was panicking right now! Then, the herd slowed and Breeze spotted up ahead Esperanza turn and toss her head in the air. She wanted the herd to stop here and continue their grazing closer to the trees. Breeze didn't like this and knew there was no chance she would be able to actually relax while this close to these odd scents still lingering in the air.

None the less, the herd followed the example of the lead mare and instantly fell back into the normal habits of the morning. The two twin brown foals reared at each other, engaging in a friendly came of battle while their mother watched in amusement, grazing with the other mares. Breeze watched them a moment herself, considering that she herself had never been one to take much interest in play fighting. That was for stallions to do and in her position, she in no way would want to have challenge any horse for any reason.

An older grey mare in the herd walked over, at first lazily, but then, upon eyeing the patch of luscious grass Breeze was standing over, decided she wanted a taste and abruptly pinned her ears at the younger mare. Breeze's ears snapped forward in the elder's direction, surprised and quickly backed away, lowering her head in instant submission. As soon as Breeze was far out of the elder's way and felt safe to stand on an unwanted patch of grass, she looked over in time to see another mare roll her eyes disgustedly at her and snort. Okay, so Breeze was a push over... She couldn't change that part of her nature.

Then, loud hoofbeats echoed from the direction of the woods. All the horses raised their heads, ears perked curiously. Spirit, their stallion had returned! Golden coat shining and black mane waving in the wind, he slid to a stop upon a taller slope above the field and reared, whinnying his delight upon having returned. Esperanza, overjoyed to see her son safe, responded happily along with a few other mares. Breeze blew through her lips in relief, all her past fears forgotten until... more hoofbeats? Yes, there were many, and getting louder! Spirit's pleased expression suddenly changed to one of worry. Desperate, he cried out a command for the herd to go quickly! Uncertain, the mares danced in place, Esperanza looking back and forth. But Spirit neighed again, this time louder and more urgent...

**Alright! There it was! Short I know, but I hope it was enough to satisfy you for now. You got to learn a bit more about Breeze and her youth as well as her personality. If you think she's a big scaredy, just wait to find out what she has to put up with later! Until next time, leave a comment and explore my other stories!  
StokinDembers **


	3. Without Spirit

**Okay, I just have to say this: for those of you wondering when this story is going to get exciting, this is the last slow chapter! I promise! After this one things will totally pick up and the adventure will begin. So yeah... anyway. Thanks for being patient! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Spirit, just my Oc's and story idea. **

**Okay here you are... **

With no other choice but to heed the stallion's command, Esperanza neighed to the rest of the herd, insisting they do as Spirit said, and they wheeled on their heels, all taking off the same direction. Esperanza however only ran a few yards before stopping once more to watch where her son was going. He had turned, darting off into the other direction of the woods. Then... she saw them. A group of fast brown horses with strange creatures riding on their backs, pulling on their faces with long lines and whooping and hollering, making quite the frightening racket. But Esperanza wasn't about to leave her son in peril.

She darted after them, while the dust kicked up from the brown horses hooves was still in the air. A few other mares, the two that were close friends to the palomino and three others, noted the lead mare's change of direction and decided to follow her. The rest of the herd, including Breeze, had continued into the field. In fact, it wasn't until the herd had run a ways into the safety of the open grass that Breeze looked about and noticed the lead mare was in fact gone! Spinning around in a quick circle, head high and eyes wide in search, Breeze's heart beat began thudding with fear. She blew quickly from her nose, unsure what to do next. Where was Esperanza?

The herd circled restlessly, their canters slowing to choppy trots as they looked about, anxious for their leader to call and reassure them things were alright. But no such assurance came for a good while. Breeze was on high alert, ears swiveling this way and that, searching for any sign of the palomino and other missing mares. It seemed like a long time, but Esperanza was finally seen cantering across the field with the missing mares, rejoining the main group with a neigh. She looked distressed though.

The usual brightness in her eyes had been dampened, as if the very spirit inside her had been snatched away. Little did Breeze know, that was what had happened. Spirit was gone... with little hope of ever returning. Timid and caring, Breeze walked forward carefully, nickering a soft inquiry towards the lead mare. Esperanza didn't respond aside from lowering her head further and walking away. Breeze was now feeling very concerned and she turned her head to see all the other horses were now struggling with uncertainty as well. They glanced back and forth between one another, wondering what was going on.

During the next many days, all was quiet as usual. So far, no bachelor stallions had happened upon them or had tried to take the herd under their own leadership. The herd was lucky to have such a wonderful, safe field to spend their time grazing and playing on. But winter was coming... Breeze knew Esperanza would more than likely start moving the herd closer towards the mountain sides. It was in a specific gorge that they could take shelter from the harsh biting winds that would begin blowing come the next full moon. The stallion was still not back, and Breeze was beginning to except the fact that Spirit was not ever going to return.

It was hard, for though she'd never been extremely close to her half-brother, Breeze remembered fondly watching him grow from a foal to adult and how much of a kick he'd been, not to mention the trouble he'd gotten into! Unfortunately, his adventurous nature was what had gotten this whole herd into this mess. Without a proper stallion to stand guard there would be no rest for any of them, especially Esperanza. The poor lead mare would now have to work double time in all her duties, getting no rest. She could NOT go on like this, and neither could the herd! Breeze contemplated quietly the possibilities of finding another trustworthy stallion...

**Alrighty then, so that will now lead to the adventure! As usual, please review and let me know what you're thinking so far! **


	4. The Wanderer

**Hello readers! It's been a little while but here is chapter 4 finally! I'm getting a little bit longer now so that's a plus for those of you who want more per chapter! I don't know, do you like the length of my chapters already or do you want it longer? Get back to me and let me know! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit, just my Ocs and this story idea.  
Now here you go! Adventure here we come!**

On one late fall afternoon, Breeze was grazing by herself between a group of berry bushes. She preferred to be alone most of the time, considering the other mares all thought she was nothing but a kill joy. Aside from their remarks being rude and sometimes hurtful, even if they were true, Breeze enjoyed the solitude. The gentle sound of the wind rattling through the branch leaves, sweeping through the grass, and the cheerful song of birds chirping high in the trees. Yes, this was her haven, her safe place, deep in this thicket of berry bushes and trees she was free to be who she was. Feeling giddy with energy she suddenly lifted her head from her munching on the grass and trotted off further into the thicket, wanting to stretch her legs. She tossed her mane and snorted, enjoying herself when up ahead, a horse came from the shadows. Breeze halted instantly, staring ahead. The horse was staring back at her and, with one sniff into the air, Breeze knew it was a stallion. But how aggressive was he? Breeze had heard very intimidating things of other, far more harsh stallions then Strider or Spirit, taking over a herd then driving out the foals of the last leader, cutting of the past sire's line cruelly by driving them away to starve or perish by mountain lions. This could very well be a male just like that. Nothing was for certain...

The stallion blew through his nose, lifting it high in attempt to better catch the mare's scent. Breeze was silent and stayed perfectly still, too uncertain of what to do, though thoughts raced through her mind as she stood unmoving. What if this stallion could take over leadership of the herd? Then Esperanza would finally be able to relax and focus only on the tasks of a lead mare, but best of all, the rest of the herd could feel safe knowing they had a protector back. But then, the stallion turned away, swishing his tail and walking from her further into the bushes. Snapping into action, Breeze loosed a friendly, curious whinny his way. The stallion stopped to look back over at her but not for long. As he continued to walk away, Breeze became desperate. What stallion would turn down the opportunity to meet a mare as pretty as herself? (at least she thought herself very pretty). Breeze nickered once more, breaking into a brisk trot after him, only to stop after a few yards and neigh again. She pawed the ground excitedly, eager to get his attention. The stallion this time turned fully around two watch her with a rather confused expression. No doubt he was thinking she was acting pretty strange.

Breeze looked on happily his direction and swished her tail again, prancing forward a few paces, encouraging him to come closer. The stallion was slow but he did begin taking tentative steps forward. She tossed her mane attractively and blew through her nose, showing off her bright and bold spirit. She then spun on her heels and bobbed her head the direction of the open field not far away. The stallion pricked his ears, looking curiously at her then to the field. Surely he must be compelled to understand her now! But Breeze's attempt was to no avail. The stallion snorted and turned his head, trotting away through the woods without any sign of further interest. Well... that was just rude. Breeze thumped her lips together agitatedly, and then snorted in offense. How could a stallion be so indifferent? Didn't he care that she was calling to him? Well one thing was for sure, she was offended now that he had turned his nose up to her so coldly, and she wouldn't tolerate it. Lifting her own head high she strut forward through the bushes, following him with a haughty, high stepping attitude. She'd show him who he'd snubbed!

If that stallion thought he could reject her so easily, he'd need to think again. Breeze always fancied herself as being quite the looker among the colts and she greatly reveled in the attention they had showered her with occasionally. To have this stallion treat her like she was no more than a miner nuisance was a great insult to her pride. She caught up to him and before he had a chance to react, she delivered a quick but motivating bite to his rump. He squealed in outrage, lashing a back hoof to kick her direction, but Breeze believed he intentionally meant to miss. She had succeeded in capturing his full attention and he whirled around to face her, giving another warning squeal. Breeze nickered more softly, a gentle suck up apology to avoid his full wrath, and stuck out her nose to greet him optimistically. The stallion hesitated, his ears still flat, but after a moment he extended his neck to touch her nose and exchange scents. Breeze found his smell warm and familiar, and then she recognized him. He'd been one of the growing colts Spirit had had to banish from the herd a while ago. It was tradition for the main stallion to kick the young ones out of the safety of the herd, so they could learn to go out and start a herd of their own. It had been a year since this particular colt had left and apparently he hadn't had any luck in settling down.

He was called Wander, and he had been named so for his habit of having always been wandering off and frightening his mother when he was but a tiny colt. As his age had progressed, this tendency had not lessened. He had never been a fighter, but had been the one mostly bullied by the other colts, which would explain as to why he preferred being by himself, even now, rather than grouping with a bachelor herd. It was odd though, considering the younger stallion was not of weak build, but instead of a good strong one. His muscles were well conditioned and he was tall. His coat was a dark grey with black and white speckles, a rare color on the range. Wander seemed to recognize Breeze too after a good long sniff and his ears slowly tilted forward, his aggressive behavior softening. Breeze backed away to give him some more space and pawed the ground expressively, throwing her head with enthusiasm. Now that they had properly met, perhaps he would follow her to the herd. She turned her body, pivoting on one hoof and starting to trot off with a miniature rear of joy. Wander blinked, watching her and perking up. It seemed he was finally catching on to her charm and was caring to show some attraction as he trotted after her at a lazy pace.

They had now broken out into a gallop across the clear green field, Breeze checking behind her once and a while to make sure Wander was still following. He kept up well, his hoofbeats thundering behind her. Breeze slowed her gallop when they made their way up a small hill. The herd was grazing just below, and Breeze whinnied to Wander eagerly for him to come look. He slowed, trotting up and coming to a stop by her side to cast a careful glance below. Breeze watched him, waiting for some sort of pleased reaction, but instead, Wander's ears went down and he lowered his head backing away to spin on his heels and take off. Breeze panicked! He must have thought Spirit was still around and would drive him off again if he returned! Breeze spun to follow after him, not wanting him to get too far ahead. But he wasn't stopping, he kept running, back into the thick forest where he could escape from possible punishment. Breeze slowed once again to a halt, watching him. She was so undecided... she couldn't just leave the herd, following this stallion to who knew where and for who knew how long till she convinced him to return with her! But if she let him get away, it was possible he would be the last stallion for a long time she would run across that could assume leadership of the herd during the winter season! What should she do...?

**Hope that was good enough for yall! More will be coming soon! PLEASE don't forget to comment! I really want to know what you think!**

**-Stokin D Embers**


	5. On The Run

**Okay! Chapter 5 is here! Thanks readers for sticking with me this far! The action is just beginning! Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit, just my OC and story idea! **

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Time was of the essence. Breeze had a choice to make and she had to make it quick. Her head swung from looking toward the herd, and back to the direction Wander had gone. How frustrating! Why did he have to be so annoyingly uncooperative? If he had just stayed but a moment longer he would have been able to see there was no danger. The wind suddenly picked up harshly, blowing and tearing at the mare's main to recapture Breeze's attention as if it were mad at her for having lost some focus. Wander was now long vanished into the forest! Shaking her head in great frustration she took off, her rump muscles tightening as she burst across the field, desperate to catch up. Her legs carried her quicky across the plain until she too had reached the entrance of trees. The sunlight dampened dramatically, as the branches above her head were so close they snuffed out much of the sun rays fighting coming through to the forest floor. Was it just her or was this section of woods darker than she had remembered? Perhaps it was because the sun had shifted through the sky that there were so many shadows...

It didn't matter, for she was putting all her attention on running her heart out to catch up. Her feet hammered at the dirt floor, flinging up mud and leaves in her wake. She was practically certain Wander was not too far ahead. A sudden fallen tree blocked her path, requiring that she push with all the strength in her hind legs to soar over it. It was after she landed that she shook her head, nearly having fallen over but having recovered just in time. Her mane she tossed out of her face to look forward at the path ahead. That was when she noticed she was lost. Sliding to a despairing stop, Breeze puffed nervously through her nostrils. Her first instinct was of course to lift her nose and smell the air, but the wind was unfamiliar and brought scents of all sort of things that she did not recognize. She now stood, trying hard to decide on which direction to go! Wander was far out of sight now and with so many trees stemming up every which way she could see no sign of him. Her head lowered significantly in overwhelming fearfulness.

With ears twitching back and forth incessantly, Breeze pondered what to do. Wander was now gone, along with her last chance of finding a substitute stallion for the herd. A twig snapped and Breeze's hooves nearly jumped off the ground at the unexpected sound. She whirled, snorting wildly to see it was nothing but a bunny scampering away. Her chest heaved up and down in heavy breaths, letting the adrenaline temporarily dissipate from her body. Well... what could she do now but return to the herd? She didn't really have any other choice it seemed. Another twig snapped. Breeze wasn't as concerned about it this time but she did think it odd that the sound had come from a tree above her. Lifting her head slightly to glance above, the corner of her eye caught the swish of a long, tan tail. A rush of sudden fear surged through her body and her body naturally sprung away in fright. She was too late however, for the mountail lion was jumping out from the tree right as she had turned to jolt away. By the time her hooves were flinging up dirt, the lion had landed on her back!

The evil creature's claws dug into her skin without mercy and she began bucking wildly, desperate to dislodge the vicious animal from her back. She was absolutely terrified and could not stop rearing and bucking over and over again. But the lion would not be shaken so easily. It dug in deeper, clinging hard and began biting at her shoulder. Breeze whinnied in pain and began rearing all the harder. She found herselef coming next to a tree amidst her chaotic whirling of hooves and attempted bucking up towards a close branch, looking to knock the large cat off and end the painful torture. The branch struck the cat in the back, causing the lion to roar angrily and lessen it's grip on Breeze's back. With another kick, Breeze was free and she began to run for her life. The mountain lion did not pursue long however, for it had received a strong hit against that branch and was now tired from having to hang on so long during the mare's unhelpful kicking fit. Still Breeze ran, too frightened to stop or slow.

Thoughts of where she was going or when she would stop were farthest from her mind. The dark chocolate colored mare ran her heart out, her flaxen mane and tail flying in the wind, the tree leaves whispering of her marvelous speed as she blew by. Breeze did not know how long she ran but it felt like days. She did not slow until she knew for sure she could not lift one more hoof. Her breathing was loud and laborious, sweat soaked her neck, chest and belly, mingling with the blood stains which had dripped down her hide from the mountain lion's claw work. Breeze teetered to a slow, and still huffing and puffing, nostrils flaring sought out the smell of anything familiar. But it was completely strange bush land now. A large bushy valley was before her, with bright red rock canyons reaching out to the sky in the distance. She had reached some sort of desert, which wasn't helpful considering she was very thirsty right now.

Taking a deep breath, she sucked in the scents of the valley for any sign of the cool distinct smell of water. It took some time but eventually, she caught it in the wind. It was up ahead, in those canyons. She blew through her lips with some reluctance but her longing for water over came any fears and she began to walk across the valley. At first glance, one might have thought the desert was completely vacant of all life, but Breeze knew better. Every once and a while a jack rabbit would spring from a bush and jump away, spooking Breeze for only a second but enough to keep her constantly alert. At one point, when she stepped near a shaded rock she heard the disturbing sound of a rattler, which made her jump. But the ugly snake did not lash out to her relief. None the less she quickened her pace. The sun was shining down hot on her dark brown back and, if possible, it was as if the sun was draining her of strength. She had to keep moving. The shade of the large, towering rocks was not far ahead and they beckoned to her most invitingly. Almost there...

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**There is my latest installment! Hope you enjoyed it and will be back with more soon!  
PREVIEW: Does Breeze have what it takes to carry on in the desert or will she need the help of an unexpected and odd stranger to save her life? **

**Please review and look forward to hearing your opinions! **


	6. Desert Surprises

**Hello Spirit fans!  
Thank you for your reviews so far! They have been very encouraging! I hope you enjoy this next addition to my short story, and I hope it's got enough action and intrege in it! I don't own Spirit, just my Oc's and this story line.**

**Thank you! Now read on...**

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Incessant heat was discouraging her body. The energy from her legs was abandoning her, causing her hooves to occasionally stumble and scuff into rocks or random bushes. Breeze's head was held low, and she blew long, heavy breaths through her nose. Soaked with a mixture of sweat and blood, and with the canyon beyond not seeming to come any closer with each step, the narrow gap that was Breeze's hope was steadily closing. Why had she made such a foolish decision in coming all the way out here and risking her hide for a stallion she couldn't depend on? And where was this stallion now? She had not a single idea! Now she was quite possibly going to die out here alone, far from her herd and adoringly familiar green pastures. Then... up ahead, a figure shimmered in the blurriness that was the tan rocks and landscape around her. Breeze lifted her head, focussing her eyes as best she could to perceive if what she'd thought she'd glimpsed was real, or some scheme of her imagination.

When the shimmer suddenly whinnied her way, Breeze knew she could not be lost in some day dream. The whinny had sounded very strange, and far more throaty and forced than the usual way, but her ears had heard the sound without a doubt. Weakly, she attempted a dry, desperate nicker back, only hoping she had been loud enough for this distant and strange creature to hear her and come to the rescue. She could faintly tell that whoever it was in the distance, was beginning to move closer. What a relief! She was saved! Breeze stood still, attempting to reserve the last bit of her strength by giving herself a short breather. Still tired and not wanting to move, Breeze resorted to lifting her nose and trying to smell the animal headed her way. But the hot air was perfectly still, as if it too were too tired to bother becoming wind. What a miserable place for any animal to want to live! Then, the creature coming to her rescue became near enough to distinguish. It was a horse!

Wait, no... not a horse... those were rather large ears! But it was big like a horse... just... with a stranger head... Goodness gracious what was it? It walked and moved like a horse, eventually even increasing its speed to get closer to Breeze in a shorter amount of time. Now Breeze was frightened! What was this animal coming closer? Was it dangerous?! Breeze whinnied in fear, jerking up her head and gathering the last bit of her courage to turn and run when the horse-like animal nickered a friendly nicker. Breeze paused her frantic need to escape and turned to face the stranger face on. Yes, it did have a face like a horse, just very large ears, and the hooves were somewhat tiny... Why, poor Breeze didn't know it, but this animal was in fact a mule, a combination of horse and donkey. Breeze was so puzzled that she didn't even notice the strange straps of leather around the mule's head. The mule bumped noses with Breeze to reassure the frightened mare that all was well and there was no need for worry.

After her nerves were appeased, Breeze breathed out a long sigh. The mule swished his tale, and it was a male (Breeze could smell that) came up beside her and gave her a gentle nudge of encouragement to continue walking. He seemed to know her hope was shallow and that her determination had wained. Breeze, not liking the way this strange horse mix was pestering her side, finally resorted to stepping forward and away. This was the only thing that made the mule stop bumping her, and so the process of him nudging her, and her wanting him to stop, helped get the pair the rest of the way across the desert valley. It was slow going, and Breeze threatened to kick once or twice but once she felt the sun's harsh rays suddenly cease, due to the shade that had suddenly stretched over her, she perked her ears and looked ahead. Finding herself now within the considerably cooler canyon, Breeze whinnied a whim of delight. The smell of water was intoxicating her nostrils now, and the desire to move on was even more strong now.

Breeze perked up to a trot, the shade withholding some of the sun's harsh repression off her back. The mule followed her. The canyon walls were tall and jaggedly shaped, with trees or bushes growing randomly in the gorge. It became very narrow at some points, making Breeze very uncomfortable but soon the sound of trickling water became irresistibly distinct! The glorious sound seemed to echo through the canyon, calling her very name. Breeze whinnied in delight, rounding the last corner only to stop dead in her tracks, her haunches buckling and a terrified expression on her face. What... was this?! There was the water hole, and the small trickling water fall that was spilling into it, perfectly situated but there was one problem. It was surrounded by other horse mixes, as well as two pure bread horses. They were all drinking and the moment Breeze showed up, all their heads went up in surprise. Each had weird smelling pieces of dead animal strapped to their backs and their faces, and it was after a moment of realization that Breeze comprehended they were all in fact tied to a large log.

A few of the mules nickered at her a friendly greeting. The two horses each exchanged a glance before better analyzing the evidently wild mare before them. They were common looking horses, both were red chestnuts, one slightly redder than the other, but they had expressive eyes. They looked like twins, which as a matter of fact, they were brothers, one being two years older than the other. Breeze snorted through her nose in displeasure, having hoped that upon coming into sight of the water, that she could rush in all the way up to her knees and drink until her belly was full. But intead, she had come upon what looked like a herd of vagabonds who all smelled extremely weird. Cautiously, Breeze took a few steps forward, her head low, not wanting to cause trouble, but plopping her lips together to show she was thirsty. The horses and mules all looked at her curiously, having no doubt smelled the blood on her hide as well as sweat. They moved for her to approach but right as Breeze was feeling hopeful, she heard the strangest of sounds. Rounding the corner, were two shadows. But these shadows were not of horses... they were of TWO leggeds!

* * *

**AHHH! TWO leggeds! Heaven forbid! lol, check in again and I'll have the next chapter up soon! I promise! Meanwhile, a few reviews would be just wonderful! (hint hint) ;)**

**Preview: Esperenza is worried, for she has noticed Breeze has not yet returned to the herd since she left many hours ago. On top of this, her worries for Spirit are increasing. Will he ever make it back? Meanwhile, Breeze has stumbled into even deeper trouble! What will happen when a set of humans discover a new horse in their camp? Will Breeze escape or discover that these two leggeds aren't as bad as they first may seem?**

**-Stokin D Embers**


	7. The Two-Legged's

**Hi readers!  
****I have to say I am very sorry for not putting up my next chapter as soon as I have aught to but in my defense, I have been working on other stories and been busy riding my own horses! lol so without further ado... I don't own Spirit, or any Spirit characters, just my Oc's and this story plot. **

**Thanks for checking back! **

Esperanza was grazing in the sunlight watching the foals nearest her play in the slight breeze from the corner of her eye. She wished she could have the energy those two colts exhibited. Lately her strength had seemed to drain right out of her like water pouring from a water fall. Her eyes got tired faster, and the firmness in her legs gave out quicker after a short period of trotting. There was no doubt she stressed in watching for danger and also constantly moving the herd from one part of the valley to the next. But these precautions were necessary. All was well and she lifted her head to chew thoughtfully, glad that her herd was still safe all these days even after Spirit's capture. How her heart ached to see her son again... What dangers was he facing this very moment? Was he even still alive? Esperanza shuttered, forcing herself not to think those thoughts. He was fine; he had to be. Making herself calm, the lead mare looked over her herd one more time before suddenly noticing something. Breeze was not amidst the grazing group of mares... how strange.

She'd seen the young mare wander off towards the bushes in the distance quite a while ago, but she had not been paying enough attention to notice how long it had been since then. Suddenly curious and slightly worried, the palomino decided she would lope over to the bushy area Breeze had last been seen and look around. It could be that the mare had simply dozed off in the shade and was only sleeping peacefully. As Esperanza arrived into the shaded protection of the woodsy area, she realized that she could not smell any sign of the mare being near by. Her ears swivaled about, listening intently for any sound, but could hear none. This was aweful. Esperanza suddenly felt her gut dip in guilt. What had happened to the young mare? Where had she gone? Had she lost faith in her lead mare and decided to leave? Or had some amount of danger befallen her and she was gone forever now? The palamino was unsure but there was little she could do anyway. She had an entire herd needing her and she could not go running off. With a low sigh, Esperanza turned back to the grazing bunch of mares. The wind was blowing with a slight biting chill. Winter was coming...

Meanwhile:

Breeze was instantly struck with terror at the menacing shadows that stretched beyond the canyon corner. She had never before seen a two-legged and the sound of their voices sent shivers down her spine. They were lumbering closer! She willed her legs to move but they would not. Eyes wide, nostrils flared and puffing, ears strained forward and shaking all over, Breeze watched the pair of shadows grow larger and larger until finally they rounded the corner. The first thought that struck Breeze's mind was how UGLY these creatures were! They waddled forward, wearing strange smelling things all over them, large flat coverings rested on their heads. One was small and squatty, and the other one was tall and skinny; the smaller one having a large piece of wood extending from it's leg, instead of a matching foot. The taller one was carrying something large over his back. As soon as they looked up and saw the unfamiliar horse among their calvary the smaller one said,  
"Aye, I don' remember bringin' at won along," and pointed directly towards the beautiful young mare.  
"I don' member doin so either," responded the taller gangly one.  
"Say, sheeze sure a perty thing," stated the smaller one, "Ya thank she's one uh 'ose Murstang howses?"  
"Tis possible Jim," nodded the tall two-legged.

They had stopped dead in their tracks at seeing her, and Breeze was still not moving. She was scared, but upon having seen them, the other horses and half breeds tied up and nickered all friendly nickers the two stranger's way. At the other horses' calm and tender reaction to these two-leggeds approach Breeze grew confused and considerably curious. These two creatures were so different from anything she'd seen or heard before, she found herself interested. Breeze just remained staring at them, looking from one or the other. Meanwhile, the mule behind her had decided a patch of sprouting weeds looked tasty and had now walked to stand right in her escape route, munching away on the dried weeds. Whether the mule had done it on purpose or not Breeze didn't know but she was irritated none the less. She felt more safe to be curious if there was an exit for her to get away should things go bad. But her mouth still was dry and her body tired from the heat. She could not resist the need for water.  
"I reckon she looks perty dern tuckered out," stated the small man with a wooden leg, known as Jim, as he took a cautious step forward.  
"Yeah, hurt too, see the blood Jim?" the tallest one remarked, pointing. As he pointed Jim had gone to the water hole and taken off the flabby thing on his head to dip it in the water. Being mighty careful he turned back to the mare and hobbled forward.

Breeze's eyes went wide again, as one of the two leggeds began approaching her. She backed away instantly, her reflexes kicking in and her puffing got harder. Fear raced through her heart and she was sure that danger was closing in and there was no where for her to run. She was trapped in this canyon, surrounded by strangers! Then, just as things couldn't have gotten worse, the man suddenly dropped carefully, with much labor, to one knee and set the flabby, cupped thing on the floor several feet in front of her. She could smell and hear the water sloshing around in the flabby piece of hard material the two-legged had worn on its head. After setting the mini-water trough off, the squatty creature, got back up with a grunt and waddled backwards away from her, leaving it free on the ground. Breeze hesitated. What if this was some sort of trap? What if the moment her head was down drinking they attacked? She couldn't trust these two and as thirsty as she was, she was also stubborn when it came to possible danger. She kept her head up and her stance still.

"Think she's down-right skep-ical of us Jim," the tall man said. Jim nodded.  
"Better turn round so she don feel crowded," he suggested, turning back to the pack horses and mules who looked at their owners expectantly. They began fastening and unfastening flabs of what smelled like to Breeze dead animals, which was a very unpleasant smell indeed, but they had not approached her any closer and in fact, they were now turned away, busy doing something or another, and paying her no attention. The water in the hat had become still and unmoving, still waiting in the sagged old hat to be touched. Somewhat satisfied that the two beasts covered in dead animal skin were far enough away and paying her no mind, Breeze took a deep breath. She took one tentative step forward, followed by another, then another. The hat was right below her now, and so, carefully, she lowered her head to the welcoming coolness of the water. Her lips plunged in, the cold liquid soothing her muzzle and then her throat as she began sucking it down in much needed relief. She was so thankful for the water now surging to her belly that she didn't even pay attention to when the two-leggeds had looked over with smiles on their faces. Maybe those two weren't so bad after all...

**Hehe, okay how'd that go? Interested for the next chapter? It will be coming much sooner than it took me to get this one up. Enjoy your day yall and leave a comment! **

**Prieview: Breeze still isn't sure about these strange two-leggeds but they are giving her her space, and making her feel welcome among their ragtag herd. In fact, she begins to feel so comfortable with the herd that she doesn't want them to go when it's time for them to move on. Desperate to remain in a group, Breeze follows, but will more trouble await her? **


	8. Moving Onward

**Hi readers!  
****Sorry it's been a while! A lot's been happenin' with me but anyway, here you are with the next chapter! Enjoy! **

The two humans stayed and made camp for the night next to their herd of horses and mules. After starting a fire and roasting a bit of what they had in their saddle bags, they ate and went strait to sleep. All the while Breeze stayed ever watchful and skeptical of what these strange creatures intentions were. However, they seemed to pay little, if any, attention to her, and instead busied themselves with going about their own business. This didn't make Breeze feel any less weary though. She kept on high alert, even while she familiarized herself with the other horses and half breeds. Most of the horses were chestnuts, all looking the same, but each had totally different personalities. One of which, the clearly most dominant of the odd herd was a male which the two-leggeds called Red. Following Red in the pecking order was his half brother named Swish. Breeze assumed he got the name from the humans because every time the walked around him, he smacked them playfully with the hard swish of his tail. Aside from these two horses, all the rest were half breeds, the mules. Most were mares, save for the one male who had come to her help in the desert. He was called Jack.

As far as Breeze was concerned, all of her new companion's names were very odd but who was she to judge? Besides, she wasn't about to run out on this small group when they were welcoming her, letting her eat and drink with them, and most importantly, she felt relatively safe... when the two-leggeds weren't too close for comfort that was. During the next set of days, life finally seemed to settle down and fall once again into a comfortable pattern. The canyon was no great green valley, like Breeze was used to, but she was once again under the safety of a reliable stallion and she had a herd, of sorts. The humans had a general routine of waking up early and heading off with two of the mules further down the canyons and below into a deep, dark cavern where they stayed all day until the afternoon where they would come back with the two mule's packed with full bags on their backs. Breeze wasn't sure what they did all day, but she didn't really care considering when they were gone she felt altogether more relaxed and comfortable.

One morning, rather than the humans leaving for a long day of doing who knew what, Breeze noted that they had begun to start slinging packs all up on the other horses and mules as well. On Red and Swish they put strange seat looking things which they jumped up into and used to sit in and secure them. The peg-legged one, who was called Jim, had the strangest way of getting around and practically threw himself on top of Swish, wiggling around like he was trying to wrestle the horse even though he stood perfectly still. When finally Jim had found his seat he lifted a hand with a bottle and he declared,  
"Onward!" and slapped his legs against Swish's sides. Breeze stared at the scene, wondering why Swish didn't just throw the man off his back altogether, but Swish seemed quite tolerant. Instead he walked forward as the man's flapping legs were apparently urging him to do, and sighed through his nostrils. Breeze snorted herself in amusement and then pricked her ears followed as the rest of the mules and Red followed in pursuit. Where were they going?!

Breeze stood with a dilemma at her hooves. Her herd was leaving but she wasn't so sure where it was going or if she should follow... Red hadn't nipped her to follow, and the one mule mare in the group hadn't taken the lead mare's position. In fact, that had left Breeze thinking that she then should fill the role. But... the herd was going without her and she hadn't said it was time to move! There was still good water, good grass and weeds growing around, and they were perfectly safe! Why at the urge of these two-leggeds did their comfort have to be disrupted? The clatter of hooves as the herd fell in line one behind the other, each with pack or human aboard its back, echoed as they made their way deeper through the canyon pass. Breeze just watched in perplexity. Why was it that she was the one having to make all these decisions? Breeze much preferred being told what to do, so on impulse she pinned her ears irritatedly and moved into a quick paced trot to follow after the leaving line in tow of the humans.

She wasn't sure how long into the day it was before the humans decided to stop walking and let the herd rest, but Breeze was thankful when they did. She stood, breathing a bit shallow, in want of water, but none to be seen. How were the rest of the mules and horses going to have something to drink? Then the two-leggeds dismounted and started untying a few packs on several of the mules standing. That was when Breeze heard it... the sloshing of water. Water were in some of those packs! Suddenly she was excited, though not excited enough to approach the rest of the herd and the strange humans without considering first. They unfastened a few bottles and in turn began giving drink to each of the mules in line then to Red and Swish. Breeze watched curiously, wondering if it was safe for when she had a turn. Slowly but surely, Jim began waddling towards her and Breeze was made nervous all over again; fear prickling down her spine, eyes wide and nose flared. The peg legged human didn't approach further, but instead, turned around, holding the water in his hands behind his back, aiming at her directly.

Well... the human wasn't looking at her, maybe she could tip toe forward and take a drink while he wasn't looking? Breeze decided it would be worth a try. So, very carefully, she came forward and stretched out her nose. The man did not turn, just stayed right where he was, perfectly still with the water behind his back. Satisfied, Breeze let her lips plunge into the water and began sucking it down into her dried throat, the coolness sweeping delightfully into her belly. She took a long drink before deeming she'd had enough and picked her head back up from the bucket to prick her ears. The man was turning his head slightly over his shoulder now, he didn't look her in the eye though, he was looking down at the ground. Breeze became suddenly very comfortable. She was this close to one of the two-leggeds and he wasn't harming her. She was still alive, and he was letting her drink from his bucket. Maybe humans weren't that bad... Then she heard it. The sound of rustling in the far off trees. She swept her head around, eyes searching when she suddenly saw the glint of something shining in the sun. And that was when a loud **_CRACK _**resounded through the air!

**Dun Dun dunn...**

**AHH! what's that Crack?! Any guesses? Lol, next part will be up within the week! Let me know if you're still enjoying the story! **


	9. Heart Trouble

**Hi Spirit fans!  
****Sorry again, it's been a little while! lol, though not too long thankfully. So here is the next part! I don't own Spirit or any spirit characters, just my Oc's and the story plot! Thank you! **

Breeze startled, jumping back and away from the two-legged in fright. Jim had staggered over to the side, clutching his shoulder with the smell of blood dripping down his shirt.  
"Jim!" shouted the taller human and he whipped out a long shinny thing from beside his saddle and aimed it up, shooting with another loud CRACK back up into the hilly bushes. All the mules and horses in the tow line were skittish, dancing in place, eyes wide with nervousness. Red was the first one to calm down and nicker to the rest in his herd to relax and stand still. Breeze tried to take comfort in the stallion's certainty but when another startling CRACK resounded this time from the peg legged man, who was holding a much smaller weapon, Breeze jumped back again, wanting nothing more to do with this canyon! She wheeled around on her heels, terrified of the strange sounds and the loudness of things she didn't understand. And to make matters worse, the whole herd was just standing there, shifting nervously! But why were they not running? Something unusual and frightening was happening!

Then, an unexpected cry came from the hill above, and what looked like another two-legged flopped forward out of the bushes to remain perfectly still on the dirt floor. Breeze danced away closer into the safeness of the rest of the herd while the tall two-legged hurried over to Jim.  
"Jim! Jim? You alright? Ye still with me?" he asked hurriedly, taking a piece of cloth from around his neck and pressing it to Jim's shoulder. Blood soaked it in no time but Jim was still breathing.  
"I'll...I'll be alright," Jim gasped out weakly, "It ain't a vital hit..." he rasped.  
"Blast that Tom! No doubt he wuz just waitin fer us ta finish gitten what gold we could b'fore he tried ta stiff us in the backs and take it all fer imself!" the uninjured human spat. He sighed, trying to cool himself and his anger down.  
"I reckon we aughta make camp fer ere tonight. I just hope Tom don't have any buddies around," he grumbled in irritation.

Breeze watched as the two-legged took care of his wounded friend, and began to take the fabric off his bloodied chest before putting new fresh fabric over it. The herd settled down, glad the shooting was all over and Breeze tried to relax her quick beating heart. She was still scared, and wasn't certain how comfortable she was to hang around with this band of stragglers any more. This just wasn't normal, and she was having a hard time adjusting. Even when things did finally fall into a pattern she was never happy, not with the humans around. She just wasn't a trusting creature by habit and all this loudness and unnatural happenings had pushed her to the limit. Red could tell Breeze was deliberating something and nickered gently to gain her attention. Breeze ignored him, still lost in thought until she felt a quick nip on her side and squealed in displeasure over at the chestnut. Red had his ears flattened and squealed back in protest. He was urging her to pull it together, and reprimanding her for acting so cowardly. One of their humans was was in trouble, Red reminded her with a quick head bob Jim's direction, and she was only thinking about herself.

The mare flattened her ears, not sure she liked how pushy and rude Red was being, but he was right. It hadn't been just _her_ in danger... in fact, she hadn't even been harmed during the gunfight. Still she stomped her hoof, making it clear to Red that his harshness was unwelcome. She preferred to be coddled and comforted, and this was NOT comforting. This was rough scolding and she didn't like it. Red shook his head and glared at her, silently conveying he was disgusted with how selfish she was and turned around to swish his tail at her as he walked away. He came up and stood nearer the fire where the humans were watching them with an attentive gaze. Breeze watched him in turn with a glare, not understanding why he was so difficult! Why couldn't he see the sense in what she was concerned about?! Her main issue though, was she still could not understand why Red thought these humans so important. For the most part, yes they had taken good care of them, made sure they had water and food, but in turn for what? Ferrying their packs of who knew what around and making them move off from perfectly safe areas of the canyon into deeper, more dangerous ones.

A long sigh escaped Breeze's lips. She remembered how soft and kind the peg-legged man had been to her when letting her drink from his bucket, and how he'd made it clear he didn't want to frighten or harm her. He had done that for her, and he hadn't had to. She wasn't technically part of the two line, for they hadn't saddled her, or roped her or made her to follow the mules. She'd chosen that on her own, and the humans seemed to reward her for that decision by letting her alone but taking care of her when she needed it. Yes... perhaps these humans weren't all bad... Breeze felt guilt well up in her heart. It was decided. She would stay and make sure that this peg-legged man got along okay. When she would leave again she wasn't sure. Her whole entire idea for having left her herd in the first place, was to find a potential stallion for the herd, and now she was far, far from home, with the strangest herd she'd ever seen, and didn't even know if Spirit had returned or not! She'd gotten herself into one big mess, that was for sure. But what could she do now? Go back?

The night was long but cool and refreshing from the hot sun that had nearly cooked them all during the day. Breeze took the time of night to reassemble her thoughts. She had to decide if she was going to attempt going back to her herd, braving the desert and all those woods, and whatever dangers went with them, just to wind up where she began in the first place... Breeze rested, the sound of the human's contained fire crackling soothingly in the back ground, while she stood with her head low beside Red. He'd apparently forgiven her from earlier and even went as far to offer her a grooming. Breeze knew she needed it so she conceded and groomed him back, nibbling at the fur along his withers as he did so to hers. It was in that moment that Breeze realized she really did like Red. He had watched over her and kept her safe among his herd, even though he'd initially not wanted her around, nor needed her around. Also, he had shown her good kindness in trying to correct her thinking, and though it had made her angry, he'd been right. She wondered... did he like her the way she was beginning to like him? But how could such a thing ever work out? Breeze didn't want to live the rest of her life around humans and Red seemed resolute on staying near them... Why were things always hard?

**Okay well that's the end of that! I felt like writing a bit of a romantic twist into the tale, for unless love is included (in my opinion) stories can get bland haha! So hope you enjoyed it! **


	10. Decisions Made

**Hey there Spirit fans!  
I apologize it has been a long time since I've updated this particular story. I admit, it has been FAR too long, but I also had other story projects I was working on, so this one got bumped to the bottom of the list. Very sorry! Anyway, I do hope you can forgive me. Here we have chapter 10! Enjoy! :) **

Winter was coming. The days grew shorter, and colder. Darkness came sooner in the evenings, and with it the increasingly bitter chill of night. For Esperanza and her herd, this meant that finding food would be twice as hard. Luckily, the lead mare had a routine every winter, and it had served her and her herd very well in the past years. There was a section of woods between two mountains that they moved to stay within during the colder days of winter, which buffeted the harsh winds and where grass was more accessible under the gathering snow. It was this part of the woods, in which the herd was now traveling to. Esperanza wasn't proud that she had decided to leave Breeze behind, but after several days with no sign of the young filly, she'd given up all guesses as to where she'd gone.

It was possible a stallion had snatched the young, silly filly up while she had been off grazing alone, and if that were the case then Breeze was most likely doing just fine. After all, there was little chance her absence could be caused by something else. There were no predators big enough out here to take down a fast, strong young mare, nor had there been any curious scents that wreaked of two-leggeds. Esperanza never liked knowing she'd lost a member of the herd, but right now, she had too much to worry about and Breeze could not be troubling her mind with so many other pressing matters. Spirit had still not returned, and Esperanza was on the verge of loosing all hope that she would ever see her son again. The thought was painful and difficult to bare, but as winter was now here, the lead mare had to keep herself very busy...

Meanwhile,

Jim's recovery from the bullet wound took a few days. They stayed in the camp for four days before deciding Jim was well enough to move on and continue their journey. Luckily for Breeze, she had had the time up till then to think over what it was she really wanted in life. After many hours, standing somberly and nibbling on the remaining weeds that the cold had not yet killed off, Breeze came to her conclusion. What she wanted was stability: A herd and a stallion she could count on, and right now, Red and his group of misfits were the only ones who could offer that. There was a chance that Spirit might have returned to Esperanza's herd, but at the same time, what if she went back and he wasn't there? Breeze decided that she would not risk it.

Now, aside from these more sensible thoughts, there were also Breeze's feelings to think about. She had no doubt developed a strong liking to Red and she feared she would regret leaving him. She had grown rather accustomed to his manners, however strange they were, and even when he corrected her and made her mad occasionally, staying with him was still worth it. He was gentle, attentive and a good, smart leader. Breeze was most certain that Red had grown up in the wild, because he heard and saw everything that needed hearing or seeing. He was constantly on the alert and very good at making sure each of the herd members were behaving themselves. His brother, Swish, he fought with every so often, as they were close in age and temper and tended to bump heads, but Red always came out on top, defeating Swish quite easily in those confrontations.

Today, the two-leggeds were moving around more than usual. The tall one was picking up everything, folding blankets away, stuffing pots and pans into a bag, and tying them all up in neat packages. Soon, he began strapping the bags to the backs of the mules and even to the backs of Red and Swish's saddles. It was clear to Breeze they were moving on now, and she was honestly happy to know she was going with them. The canyon had become eerie these last few days with the winter winds howling through the rock walls, the cold biting and tearing at her fur with it. She would be most glad to leave the canyon for a wide open field somewhere. Soon, the tall two-legged was helping Jim up onto Swish's back, and with some difficulty, the peg leg man finally got his balance and sat up strait with a loud grunt of satisfaction. I snorted softly through my nose in amusement.

"Onwards!" Jim declared, pointing ahead with his good arm, and kicking Swish into a purposeful walk. The tall human climbed aboard Red next, and securing the long lead line of rope that linked to all the pack mules, Jack in the very back, he followed after his friend and thus the herd was moving. As Jack walked by lastly Breeze tossed her head, shaking her mane playfully and trotted after him with plenty of energy. She was definitely excited to be moving on. The next couple hours that followed were spent walking through the seemingly endless trail of canyon. It was long and boring, but finally, the wind started becoming sweeter, and more powerful, a sure sign that the canyon mouth was coming. It wasn't long after that when the herd worked its way around one last turn to suddenly come face to face with a wide open prairie stretching out before them...

...

**Yay! Finally another chapter out! Okay well hope you enjoyed it! Next one will be up very soon! Tomorrow I believe. Anyway, thanks again for reading and for your patience! Reviews are very welcome so I hope to hear from you! **

**-StokinDembers**


	11. The Indian Plains

**Okay, here we are with the next chapter! Enjoy! There is an interesting twist in this one :) oh and I don't own Spirit or any of the characters! **

Breeze nickered in delight. All of the other herd members were happy at the space spread before them as well, for several picked up their heads and gave small nickers themselves. The wide open field before them was quite the refreshing sight, and Breeze, born for the plains, could not resist bursting out ahead from the rest of the herd to be the first that should gallop onto the hills, kicking and bucking with glee. Red, watching Breeze in amusement remained standing still, not wanting to throw his rider, nor cause chaos down the chain of mules he was leading. Swish on the other hand, with little responsibility other than Jim sitting aboard him, decided it was fair to break into a quick canter himself, giving a small crow-hop. Jim cried out in some surprise, but managed to stay aboard and instead laughed at the joy his steed displayed.

"Jim, yeh alright?" the tall human sitting on Red called out.  
"I'm o-right!" Jim called back assuredly, reining Swish in before he got too rowdy. Breeze however continued her show and continued cantering over the fields rearing and kicking in a frenzy of happiness. How wonderful it was to see the beautiful wide open space once more! After a good ten minutes, finally the wave of energy in her veins died down and she realized she better rejoin the herd which was now moving across the plains themselves in a steady line, led by Red, with Swish following alongside. Snorting and kicking up her heels, Breeze galloped their direction and slowed once she was just a little behind Red herself. For some reason she felt they were more of a herd out here in the wild then she did inside those canyons. Maybe it was because they were no longer so confined.

The sun seemed warmer out in the range, even though the wind was still cold, and the ground lightly dusted with frost. The skies were blanketed with thick gray clouds, threatening rain. Breeze lifted her nose, smelling the air. Yes, it would rain, and rain soon. The pack of mules and Red and Swish were settled down though, moving steadily across the range. Apparently, Red knew exactly where he was going, which was odd to Breeze who was still used to the lead mare being the one to decide where the herd was going. But she supposed this wasn't like any ordinary herd, with half horse-half donkey members along with two-leggeds and a stud who was actually submissive to the humans and their needs, she was certain Esperanza, or any other wild horse would turn their nose up and high tail it far far away. In fact, what would Esperanza think if she saw Breeze right now? Breeze didn't even want to think about it.

It was after a long while of walking that the smell of smoke began to permeate the air. Breeze's nose went up into the air to sniff with fright. Fire? Out here? Red looked over at Breeze, regarding the smoke with no special interest. They continued on. It was a good while longer before the humans caught on. The smoke was in the sky now, a fair distance off, but clearly evident. It was when the humans caught sight of it that they slowed their herd down to investigate. More humans on this side of the valley? The tall two-legged riding Red glanced over at his companion.  
"Jim, do ya thank-?"  
And before he could continue, sound of hoofbeats, like thunder rumbling over the hills, broke the still silence. Breeze jerked her head up into the air, eyes wide, nostrils flared. Who was coming? It sounded like quite a few horses. Red was just as alert, if not more so, while Swish snorted through his nose and danced to the side nervously, causing his rider Jim to rein him in tighter and issue out a series of: "easy..."s "whoa"s and "Hey! Cut that out!"s.

"Someone or somethin's comin," Red's human said quickly, looking around over to the hill where the sound of the hoof beats echoed. Trying to quiet the mules down, at the same time, Jim finally got Swish to stand still and they all stood in silence, looking up at the hills expectantly. Breeze was nervous, and she shuffled her feet to stand beside Red, who nickered gently in response as if to reassure her. Then, there they were, directly atop the nearest slope, came the heads of even more two-leggeds, followed by the bodies of the horses which they sat atop. They were trailing the side of the hill casually, and had not yet seen them. These two-leggeds were different though.. with one sniff Breeze could tell. They had darker skin, and wore less on their bodies. Their horses had no saddles, just blankets and bridles and there were at least eight of them. Jim and his taller companion both gasped upon seeing the Indians.

"Quick, inta the brush!" Red's human ordered, turning Red about and leading the pack of mules hastily to the nearest set of thick valley brush. Jim followed on Swish, helping aid the mules in the right direction until they were all hastily hidden behind the shrubbery, hoping not to have been seen. However, Breeze remained completely unaware of the need to hide and continued to stand out in the open, watching curiously while her herd hid.  
"The mare!" whispered Red's human over to Jim in worry. Jim was completely frozen in anxiety. Fear was thick in the air. Red, thinking Breeze half crazy to stand out in the open the way she was, nickered as quietly as he could over to her, but Breeze payed him no mind. In fact, she was rather distracted because she had suddenly recognized one of the indian horses. Why, it was Wander! What was he doing way out here? Without thinking, Breeze neighed a greeting his direction. Red, Swish and their riders all cringed. What had she done!? The indians instantly turned, hearing the whinny, and spotted the mare.

**Oh great! What has Breeze gotten herself into now?! XD Come back soon and find out! Reviews are welcome! Thanks for taking the time to reading! **


	12. Meeting Rain

**Alright, here is the next chapter! Thanks for checking in and continuing to show interest in reading! I hope I don't disappoint you! **

The indians turned swiftly in the direction of the lone mare, kicking their horses into action. Wander was among them, and it was only when he started heading down the hill that he in turn recognized Breeze. He nickered to her in surprise, the group of four other horses trotting beside him. While Breeze was happy to see Wander, she suddenly grew uneasy with the approaching indians. They didn't seem aggressive but they were intimidating and the sight of all five horses charging towards her gave her cold feet. It was only in that moment that she thought maybe it would be a good idea to run. Red, still hiding behind the bushes with his humans and the pack mules, now nickered again, finally gaining Breeze's attention. He was throwing his head, jerking it back and forth with wild eyes of desperation. He was signaling her to run!

Before it was too late, Breeze jumped into action. She sprinted away, muscles tight and hooves flying rapidly over the grass below her. Her nose was wide, sucking in air and blowing it loudly out. Behind her, the indians were still pursuing, and they were frighteningly fast. Two horses, Wander being one of them, caught up, and ran alongside her. Breeze glanced back and forth nervously, trying to push herself faster. She was beginning to wonder if she'd gotten herself into trouble, but then, before she knew what was happening, ropes soared through the air. It was an unfamiliar thing, having restraints placed around her neck and it frightened her even further when suddenly the indians pulled their horses to an abrupt stop... and roughly, she was forced to a halt along with them. The ropes held her tight and it hurt to push or pull against them. She couldn't get free!

Red watched from the bushes in worry, eyes wide and mouth open slightly. Seeing _his_ mare captured, being held captive by strangers, made him not only scared for her, but mad. On impulse Red pinned his ears and hunched his hind quarters to jump forward, fighting against the iron bit in his mouth. He wanted to go to her aid. Even now, he could hear her neighing, calling to him.  
"Red, no, Red, easy!" his rider corrected, yanking hard at the bit and pulling Red's head around to his knee, forcing the stallion into tight circles.  
"Shame," Jim commented, "She coulda made a might lovely mount,"  
"We ain't gonna go back fer 'er Jim. It's too risky. Them indians will see us comin' right o-way," Red's owner replied strictly, "We gotta lay low now,"

Breeze fought against the ropes, but they were beginning to rub uncomfortable burns into her skin and soon, she was looking for any way to avoid pressure on her neck, even if it meant following the group of four indian horses ushering her to where they wanted. She was scared, and huffing and puffing nervously, dancing back and forth to the side in uncertainty. Where was Red?! Where was her herd!? Where were these new two-leggeds taking her? It didn't take long to find out. Before long, the indians had brought her through a set of hills till they reached flatter ground. There in the valley, was settled a small group of teepees. A fire pit was smoldering out in the center of the camp, which no doubt had been the cause of the smoke in the air from earlier.

As the indians brought her closer, Breeze was able to see a few more indians and horses amidst the camp, but it was a bright paint mare that stood out from the rest. Breeze was brought to a corral, made of wooden barriers, and put inside before the indians removed the ropes from her neck. Shaking off, glad to be free of her restraints, Breeze instantly began trotting about the pen nervously, head swinging back and forth. Where was Red? Where was her herd? Her mind was still spinning. Back and forth she continued to trot, sweat accumulating on her chest and neck. Wander, who had been dismounted now took it upon himself to meander over, and place his head over the fence to nicker a friendly greeting. Breeze, finding him to be her only friend in this strange place, decided eventually to approach and touch noses with him.

How had he come to this place? More strangely, why was he staying? Odd, colored markings had been painted on his flank and around his eyes. Breeze sniffed them with interest. It was a moment later, that the paint mare Breeze had spotted from earlier, now began to walk over. Her head was low and she looked a bit weak but her bright blue eyes shone with kindness and curiosity. She nickered her own greeting and came to the fence to touch noses with Breeze as well. Her name was Rain. It was clear to Breeze that somehow this paint mare was not doing very well. Somehow she had been injured, but it was clear she was on the mend. It only took a moment to see that Rain had a strong spirit and a bright and caring mind. She and Wander seemed to be familiar with one another and having both of these two horses near made Breeze feel a lot better. But she still couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen next?

**There you have it! Breeze met Rain! So sweet. :D More will come soon! Please leave a review! **


	13. Warm Hand

**So, here is the next chapter!  
Sadly, this story will soon be closing to an end. Just so you all know I only anticipate writing two more chapters after this one! Typically, I don't like to make my stories longer than 15 chapters to avoid dragging them on and on... and on... lol Anyway! Thanks for checking back! Enjoy!  
Disclaimer: I don't own Spirit or any characters. Just my OCs and this plot.**

It had become dreadfully cold that night in the strange wooden pen, and when Breeze awoke the next morning, a glisteningly white layer of snow about two inches thick had blanketed the floor around her as far as she could see. Snow flakes danced gracefully in the air with the wind, landing on her coat and amidst her mane, forelock and eye-lashes. She breathed in the cold air, her nostrils puffing out hot air in return which appeared like smoke in the freezing temperature. Rain was still near by and so was Wander along with a few of the other indian horses who were standing perfectly still, heads lowered half way to the ground. They all stood close to one another for warmth. A few two-leggeds were up and moving through the camp, shuffling about in the snow in their mocassins, wearing thick animal coats over their shoulders. None seemed to pay Breeze any attention. Why was she here then? Why had they taken her from her friends...?

...

For Jim, his friend, and their pack of horses, the night had passed with much difficulty. The snow that had begun to fall impaired their progress through the prarie and for Jim, who was still recovering from his bullet wound, made his muscles become more sore and achey in the cold. Soon, the packing line was forced to stop their travels for the night and bed down in as good a camp as they could create. Red and Swish had soldiered on un-happily, both reluctant to leave Breeze behind, though perhaps more so with Red then Swish. The red stallion couldn't help but feel that somehow he'd let Breeze down by deserting her to strangers. But there was nothing he could have done! She had not heeded his warnings and therefore, deserved what had happened to her. That was how the red stallion reasoned with himself for the next several days. He found it was easier to be angry with the stupid mare, than sulk in sadness at having lost her.

...

For Esperanza, the winter came and went much like the previous ones in past years. Safe between the mountains and surrounded by familiar areas which they were accustomed to finding food in, the herd got along fairly easy. Still no sign of Spirit had been found, and while the lead mare was determined to continue believing that he would one day return, she was forced to focus on the challenges of every day herd management. Only once did the herd cross pathes with the buffalo, and luckily the large creatures were in no way agressive during the brief confrontation. Esperanza spent her days sniffing out fresh, clean water, finding shallow snow so herd members could paw the ground and find grass or other herbs available, and keeping several of the fillies and colts in line. No other stallion had been found in the area, which was strange, but fortunate since the last thing Esperanza wanted during these more difficult times was a power struggle. Esperanza's greatest trial was being patient, and remaing hopeful for spring...

...

Several days passed in boredom for Breeze. There was little she could do in her wooden pen aside from pawing the ground and chewing on the strands of grass she found. Every once and a while, one or two of the dark skinned two-leggeds would come over rather close to her corral, making her jumpy and a bit nervous, but they never entered. They just spoke back and forth to one another, watched her for a bit, then left again. Rain and Wander were around most of the time, save for when Wander's owner would come to fetch him and ride out with a few of the other indian horses. Whenever Wander would come back, he had the smell of dead animals on him, which lead Breeze to assume, that the humans had gone out hunting for meat, much like the wild big cats did. This made Breeze all the more untrusting towards these new two-leggeds, and far more eager to escape. She often thought of Red, and wondered where he was and if he still thought of her, but she'd accepted the fact that, by now, she would most likely never see him again.

It was on a clear, bright morning, that the two-leggeds actually approached Breeze's wooden pen, and one slid inside between the beams. Breeze was instantly on full alert. She pricked her ears forward in curiosity. What did that indian think he was doing? He now approached her calmly, extending a hand before him to extend it out to her. Originally, Breeze had no intention of getting anywhere near that hand, but then she remembered how gentle and unthreatening the other two-leggeds were when she'd been with the herd under Red. Those two-leggeds didn't bother her at all, nor had they ever caused a bit of a threat. Maybe these darker two-leggeds were much the same? Tentatively, Breeze finally decided to take a few cautious steps forward. When she extended her neck forward enough so her nose was only a few inches away from the indian's hand, she suddenly pulled back, nervousness taking her again. He had smelled funny and she wasn't certain if this two-legged was anything like she thought at all.

But then, the human smiled calmly, and took one more slow step towards her. With a relenting sigh, Breeze decided to try again. She put her nose forward and bumped the palm of his hand softly. Then, an unexpected sense of security rushed over Breeze's mind, reassuring her. She felt safe, and protected somehow, just at the one simple touch. She had felt the same thing when she'd let the old peg-legged Jim, get close to her, but this time it was slightly different. She could feel right away that this human, strange as he was, wanted to be her friend. From that moment on, Breeze began referring to that two-legged as Warm Hand. When he touched her, it was alwas gentle and warm, and with a confident, caring attitude. Breeze began to like this human, and he would come and visit her often, each time surprising her with a new thing to smell and to get associated with. One time it was a blanket, then it was a rope, and finally a strange colored liquid in a tiny wooden bowl. Breeze didn't mind the objects being around once Warm Hand had assured her they were safe, which was good, because soon... all three items she would adorn...

**Alright! There it was! Fun fun fun! Bet you can't guess what will happen next? hehe... well a lot, so hold on tight! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been super busy! Anyway, thanks for checking in and please review! **

**-StokinDembers**


	14. The Wild Ride

**Sorry readers!**

**It's been a while! I started a few other stories and been busy at the barn lately. Anyway here is the next chapter, please enjoy!**

The winter months passed remarkably fast. Breeze felt that with her new human friend coming to visit and play with her every day, time went by much quicker than when she had lived in boredom with the Cimarron herd under Esmerelda's care. Warm Hand was a fun creature. He would bring her new treats every day, play chase and run from her in the pen, and brush and groom her. Breeze had been most pleased on the day that Warm Hand had worked loose the dried mud and blood from her long fur coat. However, the most exciting of events was the day that Warm Hand had asked to get onto her back. Breeze remembered it very vividly. She'd been extremely curious as to why he was trying to get her near the fence post. But when she did, he had rewarded her with wonderful pets and rubs to her neck and back. When he attempted to slide his leg over her though, Breeze instantly shied away. What did that silly human think he was doing?

Warm Hand was patient though. Even if Breeze clearly didn't like the idea of being ridden, he would ease her into it. It took a good set of days, but eventually, after training her to come to the fence, the human was finally rewarded with being allowed to sit on her back for a quick moment. Breeze had danced under him, but when he'd stroked his warm, assuring hands down her neck, she knew it was okay. From then on... things became more interesting. He strapped a contraption around her face, which at first greatly bothered her, but after a time she had become accustomed to it and now Warm Hand could ride her about within the pen, directing her which way he willed. Of course, Breeze thought it funny that the human would want to sit on top of her, but then it occurred to her that he did only have two legs... Perhaps he preferred using her four legs to get around better? It made sense, though, Breeze was growing board of walking circles around the pen.

It was one fateful warm, snow melting day that Warm Hand came to the pen and prepared Breeze to ride just like normal, only this time... once he was aboard, another set of Indians came to the fence gate, and opened it... Breeze stared wide eyed at the exit. She...she would get to go out...? Ears pricked, body tense, she hardly felt the squeeze of Warm Hand's heels on her side. She didn't move. Warm Hand tried again, a bit harder. The result, wasn't what Warm Hand would have wanted. Breeze, surprised and overcome with excitement, burst forward into a blazing gallop from the pen, surging towards the green, snow blotched field. Now that she was free, one thing was on her mind: Red.  
"Whoa!" Warm Hand held fast to her mane, his tightly clinging on her belly, desperate to keep balance. Breeze didn't seem to notice that Warm Hand was nearly falling off, because she continued to run full speed, enjoying the wind in her hair and the grass under her hooves. She ran and ran... nostrils blaring and tail held high in delight.

After realizing it was pointless to try and stop the crazy mare, Warm Hand decided to just relax and focus on _not_ falling off. He held on for quite a while as the mare worked herself to a sweat. The hills were beautiful, and the big blue, snow capped mountains in the distance was a beautiful sight. Meanwhile, Breeze was on the search. Red and his herd, where could they be? Had they moved far away during the winter? What if she couldn't find them? Breeze tried to think. The canyons! Would they have returned? Glancing that way, Breeze suddenly gained a new idea. Slowing her speed, the mare came to a choppy trot then an abrupt halt. Warm Hand grunted as he was thrown of balance and his chest slammed into her raised neck. Panting, Warm Hand attempted now to gain some control of his mount and clutched the reigns.  
"Easy girl..." he cooed gently, "I think we've had enough fun for one day. Let's just turn around and head back-whoa!"

Breeze had taken off once again into a full blown gallop, and not in the direction Warm Hand had asked her! He was lucky to have actually stayed on, but now he realized something wasn't right. The mare was determined, but about what? Warm Hand had a decision to make. Let the mare take him where she wanted, and find out what kind of adventure she was getting him into... or force her to turn about and get on her bad side? She seemed very passionate about whatever it was she was seeking. If Warm Hand betrayed her trust now, she may never let him ride her again. The Indian sighed and allowed the mare to continue her gallop. They crossed over the plains quickly, and soon were once again entering into canyon territory. Warm Hand had only been within the canyon when traveling through on hunting trips, but even when he'd done that, he hadn't much liked them. They were dangerous. There were too many places to be ambushed, and just recently, he'd heard that white men had been visiting these parts...

Once within the canyon walls, Breeze slowed down to look carefully around. Unfortunately, not much could be seen around the sharp corners and narrow passage ways but a trail extended off to the side that led up to a higher ledge. If she could get up there, she would have a better view around her to see if Red and his herd were about. Breeze narrowed her eyes in determination and sprinted up the small trail. Warm Hand's face blanched as he latched his fingers tighter into Breeze's mane and clutched his legs around her sides in attempt to stay aboard while she jetted up the steep pathway. What was this crazy mare thinking? With each step of her powerful legs, Breeze grew more and more excited to reach the top. It was a steep ledge though and she had to will herself to not look down. Warm Hand however, had definitely noted the cliff side and was gritting his jaw while praying that Breeze's feet remained sure. Then, none to soon, Breeze reached the top. She was panting with effort, but she had made it. A large open expanse of canyon spanned out before them, and in the far distance... was a golden horse, galloping along a narrow ledge, an Indian aboard his back with dark horses in pursuit...

**Well well? Spirit! Finally! :D What'd you guys think? Sit tight for the conclusion! coming up in the next, finale chapter! Thanks for reading guys! **


	15. Home Coming

**Okay people!  
The finale! It's been a LONG time coming! I'm both relieved and sad to see this story come to an end but I'm so thankful for all my readers and your attention to this fanfic! It's been an honor writing for you all! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Spirit of the Cimarron! **

The sun reflected unmistakably across the golden stallion's flanks, and even in the distance, Breeze would recognize that stallion anywhere. It was Spirit! His black legs, mane and tale, moving like a blur as he stormed down the narrow canyon trails, an indian aboard his back, and a group of ominous dark horses with savage looking riders hot on his tail. What kind of trouble had he gotten himself in to? Breeze wasn't sure, but from where she stood, she could do little to help. All she could do was stand and stare in awe as Spirit sprang from one cliff side to another, narrowly avoiding a series of treacherous falls that could have come with the simplest slip of a hoof. Warm Hand sat stunned upon Breeze's back, watching the spectacle with eyes wide in wonder. How could it be? He actually recognized that indian in the distance, upon the buckskin's back. It was Little Creek, Warm Hand's older brother! Breeze could feel her human tense with worry and as result, she began to dance uncertainly.

Both horse and rider watched as across the canyon gap, Spirit and Little Creek charged their way towards a large cliff face. What were they thinking? Breeze whinnied in distress, but nothing was going to stop Spirit's legs now. He pumped them faster and faster, and then, with one final launch of his hind quarters, the horse and his indian were flying through the air. Little Creek spread his arms, howling to the wind in excitement. Warm Hand just watched, mouth agape, when finally... after what seemed like forever, Spirit and Little Creek reached the other side of the cliff side. They tumbled, rolling over onto the ground, but they were safe from harm. Their dark pursuers had pulled up, not daring to attempt the feat they had just witnessed. After a moment to fully comprehend what they had just seen, the dark group of horses and their riders turned away to trot off. Breeze and Warm Hand, both stared on, not believing the entire scene. Breeze had to catch Spirit! She had to see him! With a sudden rear, she charged onward.

Warm Hand gasped as once again, Breeze was running and had nearly dislodged him from her back. It was a good thing Warm Hand was such an experienced rider, or else he would have fallen off this crazy mare a long time ago. She ran as if her whole life depended on it, ears back, muscles flexing as her legs pumped to her fastest ability. However, the golden stallion ahead, with Little Creek upon his back, was too far ahead. They had a while before they could catch up. Then, for a good while Spirit and Little Creek were completely out of sight. Breeze continued her gallop. She couldn't loose them! Then... over the hill... the indian camp! It was just up ahead! And Spirit... Spirit was there. So was Rain! They seemed to be greeting each other happily. Breeze stopped her galloping to stare and watch what was happening. That was when Spirit and Rain both took off at a run together across the plains. Naturally, Breeze wanted to follow, but this time, Warm Hand took control. Turning her about and directing her towards the village they eventually got there in one piece where Little Creek was waiting.

The two brothers greeted each other warmly. Warm Hand sprang from Breeze's back to hug his older sibling, leaving Breeze to stand and stare in the direction Spirit and Rain had run. It seemed to Breeze they were heading in the direction of the herd... Winter was over, so no doubt the Cimarron Herd had returned to the large valley by now. The grass would be wet with pleasant due, the skies large and blue with white fluffy clouds. Oh how Breeze wished to return! And Rain! She had gone with Spirit, surely Breeze could be allowed to leave as well! She reared up, again and again neighing in the direction her Stallion had gone. Warm Hand, startled and concerned tried to calm her, but the mare would not be appeased.  
"Brother...where did you find this mare?" Little Creek spoke now. Warm Hand turned to look at Little Creek with curiosity.  
"Free on the planes," Warm Hand replied.  
"If the mare's spirit is wild... it should stay that way," Little Creek encouraged gently.

Warm Hand was hesitant, for he had grown very fond of his new mare and had put a lot of work into her. But she was wild, as she had clearly shown him during their ride through the country side. Perhaps it was best for her to stay free...Breeze watched the interaction between the two humans, every once and a while neighing again the direction Spirit had gone. With a heavy sigh, Warm Hand nodded to his brother and removed the blanket, followed by the reins from the mare's body. Breeze, surprised but immensely pleased, burst away. She was free! Free to return to Spirit! To her herd! She was many yards away when she realized Warm Hand had been selfless enough to let her go. Slowing she turned to look back upon the indian camp and her kind friend. Her eyes smiled into the distance. He was good to her, and she would return to visit. With that decision made, she turned to continue her gallop, rearing one last time and bucking with excitement. The wind wiped through her hair and fur coat, causing that same exhilarating sensation that fueled her feet onward. Dusk had just arrived when suddenly a familiar scent caught in her nostrils...

**RED**! She didn't believe at first she could trust her eyes, but that was him! A small human camp, far different than the indian village, was made in the hills up ahead where the pack mules, Swish and Red were grazing calmly. Breeze whinnied. The red stallion instantly jerked his head up at the sudden call, knowing without a doubt who it was. The moment the two locked eyes onto one another they were racing towards each other. Their greeting was beautiful as they circled about, dancing in the fields before finally calming down enough to touch noses. Breeze was so happy to see him! And he must come with her! Beckoning him with a whiney, Breeze struck out her front hoof, pawing the ground and swinging about to signal Red to follow her. The stallion was reluctant, but after a moment, he figured there would be no harm in humoring her this once. They two sprang into a brisk trot and Breeze led the way from there. The sun was lowering into a beautiful sunset which reflected purples, oranges, pinks and yellows into the clouds. Breeze couldn't have imagined a more beautiful sight. And then, as if nature liked proving her wrong, they came upon the Cimarron Herd...

The sight below was a most welcome one. Breeze hadn't even realized how home sick she'd really been until she saw the familiar warm sight of her family below, grazing contentedly, with Spirit, the head stallion watching devotedly, the paint mare Rain, by his side. Breeze sighed through her nose, a peace filling her heart. Red took in the sight around him with much interest, but noting the golden stallion not far away, decided it wise not to get any closer for fear of appearing as a threat. Red looked at Breeze and after a moment of admiring her happiness, gently gained her attention by nudging her neck. Breeze, brought out from her stupor, turned her head to look at him. With a gentle nicker and a back step, Red made his point clear to her. While Breeze belonged with the herd, he did not. But his humans were near, and they would never be too far from one another. Breeze could come to him whenever she wanted. Sadly, Breeze acknowledged this, and nodded softy to the red stallion. They touched noses once more in a parting goodbye. She would rejoin the herd, for now, until adventure called once more.

Like the wild, untamable wind, Breeze was meant to drift through the plains, travel through the grass, the forests, the creeks, and the canyons... finding excitement and faithful friends wherever she went...

**THE END **

**Thanks again readers for being so faithful and I hope you genuinely were pleased with this story! I liked writing it, and maybe one day in the future, I shall write a sequel to tell about what happens with Breeze next! For now though, I say farewell, and please help yourself to exploring my other stories!**

**-StokinDembers **


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